Electric attachment for tanks.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY REEVE, or naoornirn,

NEN YORK, ASSiGNOR TO AUTOMAllO FIRE ALARM COMPANY, OF NETV YORK, N. Y, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC ATTACHMENT FOR TANKS ratenteri April 30, 1907.

1"!) (1/7/71 whorl 1 it TIMI/[j concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY E. Rnnvn, a

citizen of the United States, residirg at Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Attacl'rments for Tanks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to electric attachments for tanks.

It is customary in systems for water supply and fire protection to locate a tank containing water upon the roof of the building or at a high elevation. It is essential that this tank be kept filled with water. This sometimes taken care of automatically, and. sometimes by giving a warning or alarm to the person in charge of the pumping apparatus.

It is the object of my invention to provide mechanism for supervising the tank, which mechanism shall be simple and reliable in character, and not subject to interference with its operation caused by oxidation, rusting, or incrustation of its working parts.

In the preferred form of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying single sheet of drawings, the invention consists in the mounting of the operating parts of the float operated switch in a reservoir containing oil, the parts of the mechanism above the surface of the oil being inclosed by a bell. in this manner, the parts are continually kept in a properly lubricated condition, and oxidation prevented.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a float operated switch, the sealing bell being shown in section, and also showing a diagram of a circuit for automatically starting a motor which may control a pump, as is customary in devices of this character. Fig. 2 is a side view and partial section of the apparatus more particularly involving my invention. Fig. 13 is a sectional view at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2, the float arms being removed.

1 indicates the wall of the tank which contains water for supplying the service, and which tank will be provided with a suitable inlet and a suitable outlet as is customary.

2 is a receptacle, preferably secured to the interior wall of the tank, and containing the parts of the switch mechanism and also adapted to contain a substantial body of oil.

l l l 3 indicates a lloat, which is sustained at the surface of the water in the tank and rises and falls according as the water level chan s.

l is a shaft rotatably mounted in. the re ceptacle, and yaeferably haviiw two upright tubular posts co liected by the tubular arms 6 6 to the tubular i'loat bar 7.

8 indicates a thermosntic device which may be employed in connection with the float for indicating the changes of temperature in the tank. The wires from the thermostat may pass through the tubular members and through the si .t +1: into the receptacle and then led outward in any suitable manner. Since the thermostatic d ice is not involved in this particular invention, de tails of construction and circuits therefor are omitted.

It is obvious that the float might be sustained. by single arm instead of two arms, as 6--6, but the parts are better balanced the mnstruction shown.

9 is a base member for the switch preferably formed of slate and supported in the receptacle in an y suitable manner.

10 and 11 are the terminals of .1. electric circuit. 10 and 11 indicate another pair of terminals.

12 is a support carried by the base 9 which in turn pivotally supports the two-armed lever. 13 is one arm of this lever, which acts as a switch arm to connect the terminals 10 and 11 when in the position shown. The other arm H of the lever is connected to the rocker arm 15 by means of the spring 16. This rocker arm 15 oscillates with the shaft 1 as the float rises and falls. Inthe position shown, the float is at its high water point. When the water level falls the float falls, the rocker arm 15 oscillates toward the right, and the spring 16 exercises its pressure on the end of the arm 14 to the right of the axis of the two-armed lever, and throws the lever so as to move the arm 13 down and engage the two switch contacts 10 and 11. The operation, of course, is reversed, and the p arts thrown into the position shown in Fig. 2 when the water level is restored to its normal condition.

17 is a bell-like device or cover which is adapted to fit over the moving parts of the switch, the receptacle 2 being partially filled with oil, for instance, to the level of the dot and dash line shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The

bell 17 is placed. over the parts in inverted position with the lower edge of the hell resting on the bottom of the receptacle below" the surlace of the oil. This secures the parts from all forms o'l chemical action which might i interfere with the condition of the contacts, l moving; parts, etc. l

An. electric circuit is connected to the switch terminals, either lor automatically giving an alarm or controlling a pumping: apparatus when the water level raaehesa predetermined point or points, The electric circnit may he connected h the wires its and it) led on t through the pipe 20 to a motor 2] tor antomatically supplying power to operate f the pumps when the enter level reaches its i minimum, and shutting off power when the predetermined water level is restored. l it is obvious that provision may he made l tor locking the hell in place or tor autonnttically giving an. alarm in case the hell is tampered with. The advantages of the simple method of l construction of the 1' loat operated switch and l the method of protection thereof will he apparent to those acqnz'iinted with the prol leins of siq'ipl ving water from tank systems. l l l l l l l l l l i'Vhat I claim is:

1. An attachment for tanks comprising receptacle, a switch mounted the "ein, an actuating float, a pivot shaft therefor in said receg'itacle, operative means oi" connectior. between said shaft and said. switch, a suhstantial hody of oil immersing said pivot sh alt, and a sealing hell inclesing the parts of the switch.

2. A tank attachment comprising a recepv tacle for containing a substantial hod v ol l oil, a Heart having; a pivot shalt mounted in i said receptacle and. immersed in the oil therein, an electric switch operative means of connettion between. said switch and said float shaft, and a sealing hell inverted over said switch.

3. An attachment tor tanks comprising an. oil holding rece 'itacle, a float, a pivot shalt lheretor immersed within the oil in said rcceptacle, a switch in said receptacle. controlled hy the movement oi said float, and a hell for sealing; said switch.

-i. i\ tank attachment comprising an. oil holding receptacle, a float, a pivot shalt therefor mounted in said receptacle, a pair ol arms (2()1111t.5l1ii11 said shalt and float, a switch, and a hell inclosing said switch, having its lower edges immersed in the oil in said receptacle.

3. A tank attachment com 'irising an oil holding receptacle, a pivot shalt therel'or, a float connected to said shaft, a rocker arm moving with said shatt, a switch, a spring connecting said switch nil 11 said rocker arm, ano 2 hell tor sealing said s\ itch.

5. A tank attachment comprising a receptacle tor holding a sealing fluid, a switch mounted therein, a hell inclosing said switch, a float and operative in ans of connection hetween said float and said switch.

7. A tank attachment comprising a receptacle for holding a sealing fluid, a switch mounted therein, a hell i'nclosing" said switch, a pivot shaft in said receptacli, operative means of connection hetween said shaft and said switch, a float and a lever arm connection hetween said float and said shalt.

,lllQNR Y E. lllGEVlC.

lVi tnesses:

ll. VREELAND, llo'n'r. S. Ann's. 

